Information & history on rear of piece:

VST09 Gibney Home,  South Bend,  IN.   Built in 1888,  in South Bend,  Indiana,  by A.D. Baker,  the Gibney home is located on one of the most beautiful blocks in the Historic District.   Baker,  Secretary and Treasurer of the South Bend Chilled Plow Company,  built the home for entertaining and living comfortably.   In 1940,  after the death of the Bakers,  the house became the office of Dr.  Pausak,  an Obstetrician.   Dr.  Pausak moved his practice in 1959 and the house stood unoccupied for seventeen years.   Jeffrey Gibney purchased the house,  which was in a terrible state of repairs,  in 1976.   Today the landscaping of the front and back,  with the use of perenial flowers and vines,  is very reminiscent of the nineteenth century.   One striking aspect is the deceptiveness of its size,  built practically from property line to property line.   Only when you enter the house do you realize its true dimensions.

VST10 Urfer House, New Philadelpia, OH. This Queen Anne Victorian was built by merchant Sam S. Urfer in 1884. Inspiration for the vibrant colors of this subtle and elegant home came from the Devoe Paint Company's "Exterior Decoration" which was published in 1885. Sam S. Urfer was a prominent businessman in New Philadelphia who opened and ran a successful dry goods store. It is now owned by a third generation contractor who since 1989 has worked diligently on the restoration of this historic home. State Bird: Cardinal; Flower: Scarlet Carnation; Tree: Buckeye; Motto: "An Empire within an Empire"; Nickname: Buckeye State.

VST13 Goodwill House, Bramwell, WV. The town of Bramwell is nestled in the Appalacian Mountains of West Virginia and was settled in the early 19th century by wealthy coal mine owners. Boasting as the home to fourteen millionaires, Bramwell was once considered the wealthiest town per capita in the United States. The "Goodwill House" is a fine example of the lavish architectural tastes associated with wealth and prominence of Bramwell's citizens. Built in 1895 and later remodeled by Philip Goodwill in 1905, the "Goodwill House" features a ballroom on the third floor for entertaining. State Bird: Cardinal; Flower: Resebay Rhododendron; Tree: Sugar Maple; Motto:"Mountaineers Always Free"; Nickname: Mountain State.

VST16 Halstead House, Coldwater, MI.  Lorenzo Halstead, a New Yorker, built this eclectic Italianate in the 1870's.  Halstead came to Coldwater and set up a sewing business, as well as a business of building homes for sale.  In the 1980's, two antique dealers found this wonderful home painted in a drab yellow.  Eight months and $8000 later, they had restored the cupola and repainted.  During the restoration they were very careful not to disturb the friendly ghosts of two children who sit at the top of the maid's staircase.

VST18 Rosewood, 1898: Williamstown, VT   Granite merchant George Beckett, whose ancestor came to America on the Mayflower, built this Steamboat Gothic Queen Anne in 1898.  The Beckett family lived here until the 1930's.  In 1987 the house was renovated.  The exterior was painted using historic colors of rose and blue tones.  The original woodwork gracing the interior was polished, restoring this old lady to her former beauty.   State Bird: Hermit Thrush;   Flower: Red Clover;   Tree: Sugar Maple;   Motto:"Freedom and Unity";   Nickname: Green Mountain State.

VST19 Allyn Mansion, 1885, Delavan, WI   When built in 1885, the Allyn Mansion was the finest house in the Delavan area.  Designed by E. Townsend Mix and built by Alexander Hamilton Allyn, a wealthy dairy farmer, the house is in the Queen Anne style with Eastlake influences.  The house was "modernized" in the 1940's and many of the architectural elements were removed.  Purchased in 1984, the new owners found the original architectural drawings in a basement safe and began the painstaking process of restoration.  The porte cochere on the west side was replaced and the entire front porch was rebuilt.  The gable and tower once again stand watch over the front door.  The Allyn Mansion was awarded the grand prize of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.   State Bird: Robin;   Flower: Butterfly Violet;   Tree: Sugar Maple;   Motto: "Forward";   Nickname: Badger State.

VST20 George Little House, Kennebunk, ME. George Little, a Kennebunk native, was a "Produce Forwarding and Commission Merchant" in Fort Wayne, Indiana before returning to Kennebunk. Upon his return, he purchased the land to build this elegant French-inspired residence, a fine example of a mansard townhouse. The tall narrow portions and bay arrangement of doors and windows are commonly seen in city row and townhouses. This house also displays features associated with the American versions of the Second Empire style. State Bird: Chickadee - Flower: Pine Cone and Tassel - Tree: Eastern White Pine - Motto: "I Direct" - Nickname: Pine Tree State.

VST21 Frank Hastings House, Port Townsend, WA. Frank Hastings began construction on this house in 1890. A severe economic winter led to the postponement of decoration and interior work for better times which never came. The house was finally completed in 1904 by C.A. Olson, who purchased the house for $2,500 at auction. This house is a paradigm of the corner-towered, Queen Anne Villa that enjoyed its greatest popularity during the 1890s. State Bird: Willow Goldfiinch - Flower: Rhodedendron - Tree: Western Hemlock - Motto: "Bye and Bye" - Nickname: Evergreen State.

VST22 Kirby House, Abilene, KS. Timothy Hersey and his family were the first to settle Abilene in 1858. It was Mrs. Hersey who named this fertile land - Abilene. Taken from Luke3:1 it means City of the Plains. James Butler Hickok, better known as Wil Bill Hickok, held the position of town marshal in Abilene for eight months in 1871. Thomas Kirby built this Second Empire style Victorian structure in 1885. He came to Abilene in 1872 and in 1878, founded the Kirby Bank. State Bird: Western Meadow Lark - Flower: Sunflower - Tree: Eastern Cottonwood - Motto: "To the Stars through Difficulties" - Nickname: Sunflower State.

VST23 Southdown, Houma, LA. Designed in the Greek Revival style of architecture, William J. Minor began building Southdown in 1859. Construction was temporarily halted due to the outbreak of the Civil War. This twenty-one room home has walls with thicknesses ranging from twelve to twenty inches. Minor's son, Henry, added the second story in 1893. The two-story turrets on each side, having been architecturally modified, follow the Victorian trend of the period. State Bird: Brown Pelican - Flower: Magnolia - Tree: Bald Cypress - Motto: "Union, Justice, and Confidence" - Nickname: Pelican State.

VST24 Angel Sister, Cape May, NJ. Cape May has the largest collection of 19th century frame buildings in the United States. Shelia'S "Angel Sister" is the second half of "Angel of the Sea," a 1996 custom release. The rwo combined structures form the largest Victorian in Cape May facing the sea. State Bird: Eastern Goldfinch - Flower: Purple Violet - Tree: Red Oak - Motto: "Liberty and Prosperity" - Nickname: Garden State.

VST25 George A. Roberts House, Key West, FL. George Roberts moved to Key West from the Bahamas in 1900 and built this house on Williaim Street. The house is considered to be one of the islands most outstanding examples of Queen Anne architecture; however the house lacks the texture variations usually associated with Queen Anne style. This island jewel has been faithfully restored. State bird: Mockingbird - Flower: Orange Blossom - Tree: Sabal Palm - Motto: "In G_d We Trust - Nickname: Sunshine State.

VST26 Gladys Pyle Home, Huron, SD. Gladys Pyle was the first women elected to the U.S. Senate. Her father, John Lewis Pyle built the house in 1893-94. He practiced law in Miller and Huron, was elected Attorney General of South Dakota in 1898, and was appointed Major and Judge Advocate of the South Dakota National Guard. Her mother Mamie Shields Pyle participated in politics as well. She was state chairwomen of the women's sufferage movement, 1947 South Dakota Mother of the Year. and served on the Huron College board of trustees for 47 years. State Bird: Ring Neck Pheasant; Flower: Pasque; Tree: Black Hills spruce; Motto: "Under G-d, the People Rule"; Nickname: Sunset State.

VST33 Terrace Hill, Des Moines, IA. Terrace Hill, one of Iowa's most historic sites, was built by Benjamin Franklin Allen between 1866 and 1869 at the cost of $250,000. Designed in the Second Empire style, the mansion was considered "the finest residence west of the Hudson River." Allen suffered financial disaster in 1875 and in 1884 sold his home to F.M.Hubbell for $55,000. In 1971, Terrace Hill was given to the people of Iowa by the family of F.M.Hubbell to be used as the official residence of Iowa's Governor and family. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, much of this Victorian mansion is open to the public. State Bird: Eastern Goldfinch; Flower: Wild Rose; Tree: Oak; Motto: "Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain"; Nickname: Hawkeye State.

VST37 Tennesse Williams Birthplace, Columbus, MS.   Built around 1878, the house originally served as the rectory for St. Paul's Episcopal Church where Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" William's Grandfather served as the rector.  As an adult, Tennessee Williams returned to his first home and wrote, "home is where you hang your childhood, and Mississippi to me is the beauty spot of creation..."  With ornate gingerbread and dressed in hues of yellow, gray and white, the Victorian farmhouse has been restored to its original grandeur.  It is open to the public as a Mississippi Welcome Center.   State Bird: Mockingbird; Flower: Magnolia; Tree: Magnolia; Motto: Virtue at armis" (By valor and arms); Nickname: Magnolia State.

VST38 Campbell-Bacon House, Franklin, TN.   Built in 1904, the Campbell-Bacon House is one of the most beautiful examples of the Classic Victorian Cottage in the Southeast.  The grounds were deeded by the Tennessee Female Academy to Annie James Campbell as a gift from her adoptive parents, Jim and Anne Harrison.  As a Confederate spy, Anne Harrison became historically significant for carrying medication and information in her petticoats as she scurried between the Union and Confederate lines.  Nell and Ernie Bacon purchased the house and have completely restored it to its original beauty, with fine architectural details, such as original mantles, stained glass windows and Tiffany Chandeliers.   State Bird: Mockingbird; Flower: Iris; Tree: Tulip Poplar; Motto: Agriculture and Commerce; Nickname: Volunteer State.

VST39 Montana's Pastel Lady, Butte MT.   Built in 1896, and originally owned by Dr. Donald Campbell, this stucco home with Italinate outlines is brought to life with an offbeat pastel palette.   State Bird: Western Meadowlark; Flower: Bitterroot; Tree: Ponderosa Pine; Motto: Oro y Plata (Gold & Silver); Nickname: Treasure State.

VST41 Andrew Warner Home, Ogdon, UT.   In 1895, this Victorian home was built at the height of Ogdon's stature as an intermountain rail center.  This house was the twenty-fourth structure in Ogdon to receive a water permit.  The house is an excellent example of an eclectic Queen Anne., with the mosquelike, onion-shaped dome over the stair tower.   State Bird: California Seagull; Flower: Sego Lily; Tree: Blue Spruce; Motto: "Industry"; Nickname: Beehive State.